Selene's footsteps echoed down the marble corridor, a rhythmic reminder of the storm she was about to walk into. Her heart was pounding, and the bond between her and Kael hummed painfully in her chest, each step she took drawing her closer to the inevitable confrontation that awaited them in the council chamber. It had started as a whisper—a flicker of doubt, an unshakable feeling that something was amiss. But now, it was a full-blown storm in her mind.
She had been feeling it for days—an increasing pressure in the bond, a weight she couldn't ignore. The emotions that flowed between her and Kael had been more intense than ever, his frustrations, his suspicions, all seeping into her. But it wasn't just his emotions she felt—it was something else. Something far more dangerous.
Kael had lea
